Dandenong co-captain Cooper Hynes was selected by the Western Bulldogs at pick 20 in the AFL National Draft on Wednesday night.
The Dogs were long linked with Hynes in the lead up to the draft, pouncing on the explosive forward-midfielder with their first selection.
The match-winner watched his name get called out at his Bonbeach home surrounded by family and friends.
“It was a pretty surreal feeling,” Hynes said.
“You hope for this to happen but for it to actually happen was an unreal feeling.
“I got so much love, people reaching out and wishing me luck so I’m super grateful to everyone who has been with me along the way.”
The teenager highlighted the support of the Stingrays in his journey, particularly coach Nick Cox.
“I came in as a 16-year-old, super unfit and didn’t know the standard or what it took and ‘Coxy’ especially took me under his wing and really invested so much time and effort into me and saw something in me that not many people did which encouraged me to work as hard as I could and prove him right,” he said.
“The Stingrays have been a massive support for me.”
Hynes’ strong preseason laid the foundation for a consistent year where he found different ways to contribute, averaging 24 disposals, four marks and more than a goal per game.
Dogs recruiting manager Dom Milesi provided an insight into the appeal of Hynes.
“Cooper is a 190cm midfielder-forward; he’s got that real strength one v one both as a forward and also a midfielder,” Milesi said.
“He’s got a lot of growth left in his game as well.
“He was co-captain at the Stingrays this year and we think he’s got a lot of upside.
“He won a lot of the ball in the midfield, kicked quite a few goals, has gotten a lot fitter over the last 12 months, inside he’s got pretty good hands in stoppage.
“All of (the feedback) about his personality has been strong.
“He came into the club today – you could just see what a great person he and his family are.
“I think he’s going to add a lot to our midfield in terms of that extra size going forward.”
Hynes formed a strong partnership with fellow draftee Harvey Langford on-field in 2024, and they got the most out of each other off the field, with Langford at Marvel Stadium doing media on night one when his mate’s name was called out.
“He’s a bull on the field so there might be a few Dusty’s,” Langford said.
“I’m keen to see what he can do – he’s a special player and special bloke.”
Cooper Hynes
Junior Club: Bonbeach
Pick: 20
Club: Western Bulldogs
Position: Forward/midfielder
